


Countdown

by tuzitokki



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - MAMA (Music Video), Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Sacrifice, Time Magic, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-01
Updated: 2016-12-01
Packaged: 2019-01-06 01:43:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12201384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tuzitokki/pseuds/tuzitokki
Summary: Tao is willing to do anything for Sehun. Giving up a part of his life is a small price to pay.





	Countdown

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for a contest in AFF.

Tao sat in his room, all the lights extinguished except for one. In its small pool of brightness stood an item that Tao both loved and loathed.

The item was an hourglass, a beautiful piece made of glass and gold. It had existed since before Tao had been born, but the sand inside it--sand that were terrifyingly limited--had only started to flow several weeks before his first birthday. It had been given to his care when he had turned nine, but its significance had not been explained to him until he was sixteen.

The hourglass, his mother had told him, was a measure of his soulmate's life. The sand had started flowing when his soulmate had been born, and when all the sand was gone, his soulmate would die.

"How do I know who's my soulmate, though?" Tao had asked.

"You'll know," was his mother's simple answer.

And he  _had_  known. He had known since the moment he'd met Sehun, then a seventeen-year-old boy. At first, it was all he could do not to grab him and shout out his joy, but after the initial euphoria had faded, Tao had suddenly been face with a reality that shook him to his core.

Sehun's time was extremely limited. If Tao's estimation was right, Sehun would only have five more years to live.

Tao had been torn. On one hand, he knew death was inevitable for anyone. It was just an unfortunate twist of fate that Sehun would be taken earlier than most people. On the other hand, Tao did not want to lose Sehun. The younger man had proven to be a very good friend, and Tao, despite his efforts not to get too attached so as to spare himself some pain, had found himself falling in love anyway.

Tao had grown up with lectures of how dangerous it was to tamper with someone's destiny. Both his mother and father, aware of their family's unique abilities, had impressed unto him over and over again the importance of letting fate take its own course.

"We are not gods," his father had said. "We have the ability to alter the length of someone's life, yes, but we must not. That amount of time was given to them for a reason, and we must always remember that."

It had taken Tao a year to decide that he didn't care about the consequences, and another three years to convince his parents that he was sure of his decision.

"You cannot undo this, Tao. You have to be sure," his mother had said.

"I'm sure."

That same night,Tao had proceeded with the ritual to transfer most of the sand from his own hourglass into Sehun's. The inky black of his sand surprisingly did not just mix with Sehun's white, but rather created beautiful swirling patterns. Tao felt that it was at least a little symbolic. He would never again be able to directly interact with Sehun after this, because the force that let him control time also forbid him from ever touching anyone that he'd ever directly influenced with his control, but he would also be an intrinsic part of Sehun's life from now, even though Sehun would be unaware of it.

Now, as he sat in his room watching the black and white sand trickle down, Tao could only smile. It had been two years since he had added his own sand to Sehun's hourglass, and Sehun had successfully lived past the time that his own sand would have run out. Tao had watched secretly how Sehun had blossomed, his career taking off faster and better than anyone had anticipated, bringing light to countless people. Tao held no regrets.

Finally, after what could have been hours since he'd sat down, he rose and approached the hourglass. It gleamed as he stroked it, just the tip of his finger across the golden edge of the top, not wanting to smudge it after the effort he'd spent in cleaning it. Then he picked up the small note beside it, needing to make sure one last time that it held the right words.

> Dear Sehun,
> 
> I love you. I've always loved you, even when I tried not to. Never doubt that.
> 
> I'm sorry for leaving you without any warning. I can't tell you the reason behind it, but I will tell you that I never meant to hurt you. I knew it would, and I'm really sorry for that, but it had to be done. I hope, one day, you'll find it in you to forgive me.
> 
> I hope you'll be able to find happiness. I hope, above all else, that you'll be able to live without regrets. Be happy, Sehun.
> 
> Forever yours,  
> Tao

Satisfied with the note, he laid down on his bed, sighing as his heavy body collapsed onto the cold sheets. With some effort, he opened the bedside drawer and pulled out his own hourglass. It only had a few grains of sand left on top, and they were quickly flowing down. He only had minutes left. Using the last of his strength, he returned it to the drawer, knowing his parents would retrieve it.

His last view before he closed his eyes for the final time was of Sehun's hourglass, softly shining and full of black and white sand.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/tuzitokki), [AFF](https://www.asianfanfics.com/profile/view/1217835) and [Ask.fm](https://ask.fm/AngelusSuho)


End file.
